The new condominium at 57 Lewis St. is among the top three winning buildings of the 2009 Urban Design Awards.
The 2009 Urban Design Awards generated some impressive designs, one of which is a new condominium at 57 Lewis St.
There were 32 urban design submissions entered in this year’s competition, 10 were forwarded but only three took home the Award of Excellence, including the Lewis Street building. The awards ceremony took place at the Arts Court earlier this month.
Located in the Golden Triangle, the condo stands tall displaying its modern features. The wooden panels soften the building while light gleaming from the glass windows brings life and colour to the street.
“This project creates a new type of street façade and is a paradigm shift for this portion of Lewis Street,” the awards jury stated.
The three independent jurors recognized 10 projects in four categories: urban infill low- and mid-low rise buildings, public places and civic spaces, urban elements and student projects.
The Lewis Street building won in the urban infill low-rise category.
The other two projects to win the Award of Excellence were the Chamberlain Offices at 76 Chamberlain Ave., also in the urban infill low-rise category, and MacKay House, a five-storey condominium at 295 MacKay St., in the urban infill mid- to high-rise category.
Former Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli, who attended the event, says he is impressed with the designs and Ottawa’s talented designers.
“In Lewis, a location where people thought we couldn’t build, they created a very attractive residential building,” Chiarelli says. “This is the type of creativity that we need to see across the whole region.”
Winners of the Award of Excellence will be entered to compete nationally as part of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s 2010 Urban Design Awards Program. The Centretown project will represent Ottawa in the national competition and it could bring home that award, too.
Peter Hume, chairman of the city’s planning committee, says good urban design in the city core is very important. “If we are going to ask more people to live in the core,” he says, “we are going to have to promote good urban designs.”
A Special Jury Award was also awarded to Ottawa’s first Children’s Garden at 321 Main St.
The garden, created by community volunteers and children from the Lady Evelyn Alternative School, won the hearts of the jurors. The half-acre park is surrounded by a colourful picket fence painted by the children, a meandering stone path and beautiful vegetable beds.
“This project breaks down the barriers and professionalism in planning,” wrote the jurors. “It involves a community taking ownership of its open space through successful engagement – a sentiment we need more of.”
An Award of Merit was also awarded to The Montmartre on the Market project located at the corner of Dalhousie Street and Guigues Avenue.
“Overall, the project is pleasant and fits well into the streetscape, almost like it has always been there,” commented the jury.
Hume added that the City of Ottawa needs to capture the creativity the designers have shown if it intends to compete with other great cities of the world.
“If the city were walking the walk and talking the talk like these people,” he says, “I think we will be well on our way to building something great in the city.”